Seat-strap.



0. DORAITE.

SEAT STRAP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I. Ism.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Tn, or cnroaeo, rumors.-

SEAT-STRAP.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jian. il, 1918.

Application filed September 1, 1917. Serial No. 189,307.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ONA DonArrn, a citizen of the United States residingk at Chi.

cago, in the county of dook and State of Illmols, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seat-Straps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a seat strap for securing a person to the seat of ay moving conveyance, and is particularly adapted for luse by aviators in connection with' dying-machines.

' @ne object of the invention is to provide a strap which will securely hold the user in place, and which by a single operation on the part of the user can be instantly released from held or secured position to free the occupant. f

A further object of the invention is to detachably secure said strap at a plurality of places, thus distributing the strain of holding.

A further object of the invention is to connect all of the holding means for the strap to a single operative member, whereJ by movement of this single member will release all of the said holding means and fully release the strap.

A further object of the invention is to provide tension members for positively ejecting the ends of the straps from secured position when the releasing mechanism is operated.

A furtherobject of the invention is lto utilize the tension members for the purpose of maintaining the holding means in retracted position after the strap is released, so that said holding means are `maintained in position to permit the re-insertion of the strap members.

The invention further consists in the" features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: f

Figure 1 is an elevation showing an aviator equipped with the device of the present invention;

Fig. 2, an under face view of a seat showing the releasing mechanism; p

ig. 3, a detail section showing one end of the strap members with a locking device in locking position; 4

Fig. 4, a detail perspective showingone end of the strap member in locked Aposltion,

together with the locking mechanism and ejector; and

Fig. 5, a g member held in retracted position after the release of the strap.

In the art to whichfthe present invention relates, and particularly in conjunction with aviation work, it has been found desirable to provide straps for securing the Hier to the seat. rihis is particularly true in connection with hydro-aeroplanes and in caseswhere diiicult maneuvering is carried out, as, for instance, looping operations. 1t is also desirable that this strap should be so held as to be `capable of instant release to free the operator in an emergency, and it is detail .sectionv showing the lockto accomplish this result that the present invention has been devised.

Referring now to the drawings, the strap portions consist of loop members 5, adapted to encircle the' shoulders of the wearer, a band 6, which is connected to the shoulder sections and extends about the waist ofthe wearer, and depending sections 7 extending downward from the waist section. ln the construction shown, there are four of these depending sections, each of which, at its flower extremity, is formed with a metal tab 8; and secured to the tab is a loop or ring, or other member, 9, for receiving and retaining'the depending strap sections 7.

The tab 8 is formed with an opening 10 and is adapted to be inserted through a slot 11 formed between a flanged end `12 of a metal rail or plate 13 and an outer plate or plates 14. When passed through the slot 11, the tab section extends to a point underneatii the seat 15, as will be understood from Figs. 3 and 4. There is one of these lates 13 for each of the strap sections.

arried by each of the said -plates is a rod or plunger 16 adapted to have its outer end 17 extend through a 4hole or opening 18 in the tab 8, vand this rod 16 is carried by bearing members, in the form of lugs, 19. A spring 20 surrounds said rod and ischeld between one ofthe lugs 19 and a pin or other protuberance 21a. This spring exerts a pressure on the rod, tending vto normally hold it projected, as in Fig. 3.'

A leaf-spring 21 is secured to one of the lugs 19 and is .formed with a flanged end 22, having a lip 23. The lip 23 underlies the lower end of the opening 11, and'this construction and arrangement enable the spring 21, to serve a two-fold function, as will hereinafter appear. As will be seen from Fig. 2, when the strap is not in se'- cured position and the-tab end 8 is out of the slot 11, the flanged end 22 of the spring will overlie the' end of the rod or plunger 16, holding this plunger retracted. When the taby end is inserted through the slot, it will first engage with the lip 23 of the spring 21 and force this spring downward. When the spring has been forced to a point so that it clears the plunger 16, the said plunger, under the influence of the 'coilspring 20, will be projected forward, and when the opening 10 in the tab 8 is brought into alinement with the plunger, the plunger will-pass therethrough, locking said tab end as in Fig. 3.

The spring 2.1 further serves as an ejector for the tab end. When the plungers 16 are retracted by the mechanism which will be hereinafter described, as soon as the plunger passes clear of the opening 10 in the tab 8, the spring 21 which is under pressure, as shown in Fig. 3, and in engagement with the end of the tab 8, will force the tab 8 out of the slot 1l, projecting it vclear of said slot and completely releasing the strap from the seat, thus freeing the operator.

The mechanism shown for operating the plungers 16 to retract them'consists of a disk 24, having a lurality of slots 25, into which I from the foregoing are entered t e bent ends of rods 26 connected to the plungers. An arm 27 is connected to said disk, and from this arm extends a cable, cord, or other suitable ymember 28,4

which is placed in position to be readily and quickly grasped by the user. Upon pulling this cord, the said disk is rotated, which obviously causes a' retracting -movement of the rods 26 and the plunger 16, withdraw'in them from the position in Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 5, and upon such withdrawal the said spring 21 acts to' force or eject the tab ends 8 from the slots 11, releasing the strap. It is thought that the operation is clear and need not be gone into in detail. Wh1le the invention has been described with considerable particularity, it is not deemed to be limited other than may be by the terms' of the appended claims. I claim :v e 1. A strap of the class described, comprising a portion adapted to be secured to the wearer, a portion adapted to be secured'to a seat, means for locking said seat portion in place, means for releasing said locking means to free the strap from secured position, and tension means for rojecting saidy seat portion from position a er said releasing operation, substantially as described.

' 2. A strap of the class described, comprising a portion adapted to be secured to the wearer, a portion adapted to be secured to a retracted position, substantially as described.

3. A strap of the class described, comprising a portion adapted to be secured to the wearer, a portion adapted to besecured to a seat, means for locking said seat portion in place, means forreleasing said locking means, a leaf-spring adapted when the locking means are released to project the said seat portion from position with respect to the seat, and said spring further acting to lhold the locking means retracted after said projection and in position to permit of rengagement with the seat portlon, substantially as described.

4. A strap of the class described, comprising a portion adapted to be secured to the wearer, a plurality -of sections depending therefrom, va spring-pressed bolt for lockm each of said sections to a seat, a plvote plate-like member arranged centrally with respect-to said bolts, a connection between each of said bolts extending in a radial manner to said pivoted member, and meansarranged within reach of the operator for turning said pivoted member and simultaneously releasing all of the bolts, substantially as described.

'5. A strap of the class described, comprisinga portion adapted to be secured to the wearer, a plurality of'sections depending therefrom, a spring-pressed bolt for locking each of said` sections to a seat, a pivote member arranged centrally with respect to ysaid bolts, a connection between each of said bolts and said pivoted-member, means arranged within reach .of the operator for moving said pivoted member and `simultaneously releasing all ofthe bolts, and tenslon means for projectingsaid pending sections therefrom, a spring-pressed bolt for locking each of said vsections to the seat, apivoted member arranged centrally with respect to said bolts, said member being formed with slots to receive the ends of said bolts, whereby a selected bolt may move to locking position without imparting movement 'to said member, and means arrangedowithin reach of the operator for mov-mg said pivoted member and simultaneously retracting all of said bolts to release the depending sections, substantially as described.

7. A strap of the class described, comprising a portion adapted to be secured to the 181 wearer, a plurality of depending sections bolt moves under the force of said tension to therefrom adapted to be secured to a seat, a engage and lock the end of said depending 1. spring-pressed bolt -for locking each of said section when said end is moved into proper sections in position to the seat, means for position for such engagement, and means 5 holding each of said bolts in retracted posifor simultaneously releasing all of said bolts tion and under tension, said holding means to free all of said sections from secured pobeing moved out of holding position by consition, substantially as described. tact- With a depending section, whereby the ONA DORAITE. 

